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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

The Effects Of Forest Practices On A Maine Amphibian Community, David A. Patrick May 2007

The Effects Of Forest Practices On A Maine Amphibian Community, David A. Patrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Changes in forest habitat have been linked to global declines in amphibian populations, but little research has been conducted into the mechanisms causing these declines. This study evaluated the effects of changes in forest habitat on the spatial distribution of a Maine amphibian community, focusing on juvenile wood frogs, Rana sylvatica. Juvenile wood frogs emerging from artificial ponds did not orient towards preferred habitat and a significant number of animals maintained the same directionality documented at the site from which larval individuals were collected. Abundance and habitat use differed among adults of 9 species of amphibians in a replicated …


The Effects Of Clearcutting And Glyphosate Herbicide Use On Parasitic Wasps In Maine Forests, Kristopher J. Abell May 2007

The Effects Of Clearcutting And Glyphosate Herbicide Use On Parasitic Wasps In Maine Forests, Kristopher J. Abell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parasitic wasps (parasitoids) play an important role as natural enemies of insects and contribute substantially to world biodiversity (May, 1988), yet they have received relatively little attention outside of agricultural settings. Clearcut harvesting and herbicide (glyphosate) application are frequent and widespread disturbances in Maine forests that drastically alter the local environment. Parasitoids are particularly susceptible to disturbance for several reasons: 1) they are vulnerable to small changes in environmental conditions, 2) they occupy a high trophic level, and 3) many are host specific. However, there may be potential benefits of disturbance such as increased food resources (floral nectaries) and increased …


Effects Of Forest Management On Click Beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) Assemblages In The Acadian Forest Of Maine, Shelly L. Thomas May 2007

Effects Of Forest Management On Click Beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) Assemblages In The Acadian Forest Of Maine, Shelly L. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) assemblages were examined in three experiments in the Acadian forest of Maine. First, I used flight intercept traps to compare Elaterid assemblages in stands that developed after clearcut, shelterwood, and selection harvests. Click beetle richness was highest in stands managed under a selection system and lowest in stands regenerated using the clearcut method. The abundance of click beetle species was lower in stands managed by clearcutting than in stands managed using the shelterwood and selection methods. Hardwood basal area was the best environmental predictor for both species richness and species abundance. Second, I examined whether Elaterid …